Coffee
by FieryFestus
Summary: Percy left Annabeth for his job five years ago. What happens when they meet up again In the coffee shop they used to go to as a couple? SEQUEL PUBLISHED.
1. Chapter 1

Annabeth awoke to an empty bed. That was the one thing she missed about him. Her useless, good for nothing, cheating ex. The guy who had been seeing at least three other women behind her back.

He seemed so lovely at first. As close to _him_ as she could find. They even looked kind of alike. Turns out, they couldn't have been any more different.

She sighed, and rolled out of bed. As much of an asshole he was, she still missed having company. Saturdays and Sundays had lost all purpose. No one to talk to. Nothing to do. She was lonely. Thalia could only leave the hunters every so often, and only Zeus knows what happened to Grover.

Like she had every day for the past five years, she regretted not going with him.

She took a shower, and threw on some clothes. Bored out of her mind, she mooched down to the coffee shop, to have another lonely coffee looking onto the street through the window.

She held the steaming mug with both hands, watching couples with families out the window. She looked down to her slightly swollen stomach, silently apologising for bringing a baby into a really crap life. She wondered how people had found the perfect person to live with. She wanted to know the secret. And as a daughter of Athena, she hated not knowing.

And if this baby was going to be anything like her, he or she would hate not knowing who their father was. But Annabeth didn't know where he was, and she was totally sure that he wouldn't be coming back. And even if he did, she wouldn't let him or her meet him. No child deserves a man like that as a Dad.

She shook her head a little, watching a pigeon pecking at the ground.

She heard the ring of the bell as the door opened, and instinctively looked up. The coffee shop was nearly always empty, and having another customer was rare. She wondered how it was still opened, before chuckling to herself. _She _was probably the one who kept it open, visiting so often.

Annabeth frowned as she looked at the customer. He looked familiar. She felt like she knew that black hair. She shook her head again. Loads of people had black hair.

But more questions popped into her head. What was he doing here? Why hadn't she seen him here before?

The man scanned the room, waiting to be served. His gaze stopped when he saw Annabeth. Annabeth met his eyes. She _Did _ know those eyes, and that hair. Her stomach tied itself up on knots. She found her heart involuntarily beating out of her chest. He heold her gaze, and a trace of a smile danced upon his lips. He took his coffee, paid, and walked over.

He grinned.

"I know you." He said. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you again."

Annabeth found herself smiling.

"Percy Jackson."

"Annabeth Chase." He said, with a smirk. "Mind if I...?"

He gestured to the seat, and Annabeth nodded. He sat down opposite her.

"You still come here?" He asked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. They used to meet at this coffee shop every Sunday as a couple.

"Never." She dead panned. "I am a mere hologram sitting and drinking coffee."

Percy laughed, before frowning.

"You look... different." He said.

"It's been five years." She said, with a ghost of a smile. "So do you."

And he did. And the change of appearance was certainly for the better. He was attractive before, but... well.

Percy rolled his eyes, and took a sip from his mug.

"It's good to see you." He said. "What have you been doing?"

Annabeth sighed. At the moment, her life felt like a bit of a joke. But she found herself telling Percy everything.

"I'll give you the short version." She said, with a sarcastic smile. "I landed the job I always wanted, which I still have, thank the gods. I met 'the guy of my dreams', who actually turned out to be 'the guy of my nightmares'. He cheated on me at least three times. He was argumentative, rude. An all round bad guy. So I'm living alone in my apartment. I buy a cat, who then gets hit by a truck." Percy laughed. "It's not funny!" Annabeth protested, although she had a smile on her face. "Anyway, so I'm living alone. And the most recent joke – I found out I got knocked up by the guy who cheated on me. So I'm a single parent too."

Percy winced.

"You're pregnant?" He asked.

Annabeth nodded.

"Yep."

"Well, I guess that's a good thing?" He half asked, half stated.

Annabeth nodded.

"Yeah." She said, the smile coming back. "I guess I'm pretty excited about it all. What have you been up to? How come you came back?"

Percy sighed, and blew on his coffee.

"I lost my job. Got made redundant." he said, with a little shrug. "There was nothing left for me there, so I came back. I missed Mom and Paul. I don't know. It just didn't feel like home."

Annabeth smiled, and looked out the window. So he was staying.

"Any girls?" She asked, teasingly.

Percy let out a small chuckle, and shrugged.

"A couple. Weren't anything special. Weren't right for me."

Annabeth sighed.

"I guess we're both unlucky, huh?" She said.

Percy laughed, and Annabeth found herself laughing along with him. She felt like she finally had a friend again. She took a napkin from the table, and scribbled down her email address, and passed it over to him.

"Don't run away again." She said. "I'm not losing contact with you again."

Percy blushed a little, but smiled.

"I won't be." he said. "I lost everything going for that job. I regret it now."

Their eyes met for a second too long, and they coughed and looked away. To ease the tension, Percy scribbled his email down too, and Annabeth smiled as she took it.

"So, this baby." Percy said, with a smile. "Boy or girl?"

Annabeth smiled. She didn't really have anyone to talk babies to. She shrugged, and looked down at her small bump.

"Too soon to tell." She said. "I reckon he's a boy, though."

Percy smiled.

"Just to be difficult, I'm guessing girl. I bet you... a coffee. Here." He said, with a smile.

Annabeth held her hand out, and Percy shook it.

"Deal." They both said.

"How long have you been back for?" Annabeth asked.

"Two days." He said, and then looked at his watch. "I've got an interview in an hour for a job I don't want, but I've got to pay rent somehow."

"I'm sorry." Annabeth said, sympathetically. Annabeth didn't know what it was like to hate your job, but she figured it would be pretty awful.

Percy smiled, and waved it off.

"No, it's fine." He said, grinning. "I just bumped into you in a coffee shop. It's a little more bearable now."

Annabeth laughed, but blushed.

"How's your Mom?" Annabeth asked.

Percy smiled.

"She's good." he said. "She doesn't know I'm back yet, so shhh."

Annabeth laughed, before sighing. It took her until then to realise how much she missed him. Sure, it hurt at first, but with work and everything... well, she just got on with her life and never said anything of it.

She put her head in her hand, and looked out the window, remembering the day he left. They had been fighting a lot anyway but...

_Annabeth stomped down the stairs, rubbing her eyes, after Percy had spent yet another night on the sofa. Things weren't good between the two of them, and they both knew it._

_Percy sat on the chair beside the front door, a small suitcase to the side of him. He watched Annabeth come down the stairs. She froze when she saw him. _

"_What are you doing, Percy?" She asked, already fearing the worst. Knowing exactly what he was doing._

_Percy wouldn't meet her eyes. He rubbed the back of his neck._

"_I'm going for the job, Annabeth." he said._

_This was the job Percy had always wanted. A marine biologist... 200 miles away._

_Annabeth stared at him, and at that moment she experienced the biggest emotion overload she had ever experienced. She was happy for Percy, and then shocked, and then angry, and then just totally heart-broken. She knew what this meant. She didn't meet his eyes._

"_You're leaving." she whispered._

_Percy nodded._

"_I think it's for the best, Annabeth." He said. "I asked you to come with me. You don't want to leave here. And I totally understand. Things haven't been good between us "_

_That's when the tears started falling. They dripped down her cheeks, and onto her shirt._

"_But I still love you." She mumbled, her voice cracking._

_Percy let out a sob, the tears streaming uncontrollably down his face, landing onto the floor with gentle, rhythmic thuds._

"_I know." He whispered, choking up. "I still love you too. Part of me always will. I just... We're not... We can't even get on anymore. Please... this is hard enough already."_

_Annabeth nodded._

"_I'm sorry." She mumbled, and wrapped her arms around herself._

_Percy put down the suitcase, and tentatively wrapped his arms around Annabeth, squeezing her tight. He felt her tears seep into his shirt, dribbling down his neck. He pulled away, but kept his arms on he shoulders._

"_You'll be okay." He said, with a smiff. "I won't forget you. I promise. I'll always love you."_

_He gave her one last kiss, and walked out the door. The second it closed, Annabeth collapsed to the floor, curling in a ball, to numb to cry. Too numb to do anything._

"Annabeth?" Percy shook her back to reality.

She smiled.

"Sorry. Got thinking."

Percy laughed.

"I know. I know that face." He said. "look. I've got to go. We'll meet up again. I'll email you later. It's been fun to see you again. I need to hear more about the woeful tales of Annabeth Chase."

He stood up, and Annabeth stood up too, and Percy raised his eyebrows.

"Good gods." He said. "You really are pregnant, aren't you."

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"No. I was lying." She said, sarcastically.

Percy laughed, and gave her an awkward, well meaning hug.

"I'll see you soon." He said with a smile.

He went to walk out the door.

"Percy." Annabeth said. He looked back. "Good luck."

He grinned, and gave a little wave, before disappearing out of the door.


	2. Chapter 2

Percy tried to concentrate on his interview, but all he could think about was Annabeth. She looked so different. Older. But twice as beautiful as she always had been.

And he felt bad for her. She had had a really rough time since he had left, and he felt like it was his fault. He silently cursed himself. Why did he always have to take the easy way out? Maybe if he hadn't of left... maybe they would have sorted things out. Maybe that baby would have been his.

He shook his head a little, lost in thought.

"Mr. Jackson?"

He blinked, and apologised. His attention span still wasn't good. Especially in important moments. Like interviews.

He apologised, and the interviewer continued to ask him questions. He answered them as well as he could, but his mind was still latched on Annabeth.

Luckily for Percy, the interviewer didn't notice this, and he got the job.

He smiled to himself. He was definitely staying here for good. He promised himself he would never run away again. He had everyone he loved still here. He couldn't leave them.

And her. He knew, deep inside him, that he meant what he said when he left. He still loved Annabeth. He always would. And seeing her again... It was the dream he never knew he had.

He climbed the steps to his apartment. It was old, and grotty, but it was okay for him. Besides, it was all he could afford.

He collapsed onto his fourth-hand couch, and closed his eyes, before smiling, and putting his hand into his pocket. He lifted the napkin, and smiled at Annabeth's handwriting. As neat and as perfect as it always was.

'Don't leave me again.' It said.

Percy sighed. She sure knew how to make him feel guilty. And what did that even mean? As friends? Or something more? He shook his head. As useless with women as he had always been.

He switched on his laptop, going straight to his emails. Maybe she had emailed him. And she had. He grinned, and opened it.

'_How did it go, Perseus?_

_It was good to see you today, by the way. I never thought I would see you again. Turns out I missed you more than I thought I had._

_I'm free tomorrow. Coffee? Movie? Park?_

_Okay. I'll see you tomorrow?'_

Percy smiled to himself. She _had _missed him, then. He sighed, and sent her one back.

_'Do not call me Perseus. Ever._

_I got the job. I don't know how, but I did, and it starts on Monday._

_I'm free too, but I need to see Mom. I'll meet you at the coffee shop after, 1ish?_

_See you tomorrow._

_And I missed you too.'_

He sighed, and lay back, closing his eyes for a second. All he could think about was _her_. He hated how he left her on bad terms. And it was bad. They argued most days, and a lot of the time, it was _not_ pretty.

_Annabeth stood at the door, arms crossed, scowling. Percy stood there, his eyes on the floor. It was half-eleven, and he was supposed to back from work at six._

"_And where." Annabeth said, sternly. "Have you been?"_

_Percy sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. He wasn't in the mood for fighting. He never was. And he knew that this time, a fight was inevitable._

"_I had a rough day, and went for a drink." He said. "On the way back, came across a pack of hellhounds."_

_Annabeth raised her eyebrows._

"_Do you really think I'd believe that?" She snarled._

_Percy nodded._

"_Yes. I should have called you. I'm sorry, alright?"_

_He brushed past her, and started to make his way upstairs. Annabeth grabbed his arm._

"_I'm not done yet." She said._

_Percy rolled his eyes._

"_You never are." He muttered to himself. "What do you want me to say? I told you what happened. Look at my shirt. It's been ripped to pieces. I'm covered in blood. I think that's hard enough evidence, don't you?"_

"_You're not answering my question." She said. "Where. Were. You?"_

"_And I told you. I. Went. For. A. Drink." He said, mimicking Annabeth's tone._

_Annabeth wouldn't meet his eyes._

"_I don't believe you." She murmured._

_Percy threw his arms in the air in exasperation, running a hand through his hair again._

"_You never do!" He shouted. "Ever since I moved in, you are constantly asking where I am. Who I'm with. You're so paranoid!"_

_Annabeth cursed under her breath._

"_With good reason!" She shouted. "Look at the time, Percy!"_

_Percy pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes._

"_look." He said. "I'm not in the mood for this. I went for a drink. Got attacked by Hellhounds. And yeah, I am okay, by the way.I'm just going to get some ambrosia and clean myself up."_

"_Who was she?" Annabeth whispered._

_Percy spun around._

"_What?"_

"_Who was she?" Annabeth repeated._

_He looked at Annabeth, not believing what he was hearing._

"_Are you accusing me of _Cheating _?"_

_Annabeth didn't meet his eyes._

"_You are." He said, fuming now. "I wouldn't stoop that low, Annabeth. And the fact that you think I would..." He shook his head. "I. Love. You. But you make it bloody difficult sometimes. I just... Why would you even... I honestly can't believe you'd think that. Can you just stop being so paranoid? I hate it when you're like this."_

"_Why should I?" She snarled. "Maybe I have a reason to be paranoid. Are you cheating?"_

_Percy almost screamed._

"_No! I would never cheat on you! Never! Really, Annabeth. I can't even go out without being interrogated now."_

"_If you don't like it, maybe you should leave." She whispered._

_Percy ripped his coat from its peg. _

"_Gladly." He spat. "Don't worry. I'm going to Mom's for the night. Call her If you want to check."_

_He slammed the door, and stormed out of the house._

Percy sighed. He was still pretty surprised that she would think that of him. And It bothered him. Did he act like that kind of person? Someone who would cheat as soon as someone else flirts with him?

He looked at his reflection in the mirror. He didn't _look_ like a cheater.

He sighed, and with nothing else to do, he switched on the TV.


	3. Chapter 3

Annabeth walked into the coffee shop, and found that Percy was already there. She checked her watch, and raised an eyebrow. Percy Jackson? Early? Something big must have changed in five years.

He saw her, and smiled. Nodded his head towards the coffee he had brought her, and Annabeth smiled. It was the first time in years that someone had brought her coffee. She sat opposite him, in the same booth as they did the day before. And gods, was he gorgeous. It was raining outside, and Percy's eyes seemed to glow in the dim light. His raven hair messed up by the rain. And that smile.

"Hey." He said. "A little milk, one sugar, right?"

Annabeth raised her eyebrow, and nodded.

"You remembered." She said, with a little smile.

Percy blushed a little, and Annabeth chuckled.

"You got the job, then." She said. "Congratulations."

Percy rolled his eyes.

"Not exactly congratulations." He said, with a little sigh. "I don't enjoy making coffee for stuck up businessmen."

Annabeth laughed, but smiled sympathetically. She could see Percy liking that, either. Gods, even _she_ would hate it, and she thought she was pretty tolerant.

"Okay. Not congratulations." And then she had a brain wave. "Actually... I plan on going straight back to work after I have the baby, so I'm going to need a babysitter, if you're interested. Not yet, obviously. I'd just prefer it to be a friend than a total stranger."

Percy thought about it for a second. Annabeth smiled.

"You don't have to. It was just an idea. I'll pay you, obviously."

Percy thought some more. Percy's thinking face, to Annabeth, was pretty adorable. The way his facial features scrunched up, and how he would tap his fingers on his mug. He grinned.

"I'd like that." he said. "Just to clarify, I have no idea what I'm doing. I have absolutely no experience whatsoever."

Annabeth shrugged.

"me neither." She said, with a little laugh. "I don't know. I'll teach you. How hard can it be?"

Percy laughed.

"This is me you're talking about, Annabeth."

"Seaweed Brain." She muttered, before smiling. His old nickname, but there was something so nostalgic about it. It held so many memories, in just two words.

_Percy and Annabeth sat on the jetty, feet dangling in the water at camp-half-blood. The sun was warm, and the air smelled of strawberries and the sea. The smell of summer._

_They were leant back, looking up at the sky, watching the clouds sail by. Percy's hand over Annabeth's, rubbing it a little with his thumb._

_She loved those afternoons. When it wasn't too hot, but warm enough to sit outside. To forget about your worries, even if it was just for a little while. She took a deep breath in. She loved the smell of the sea. She didn't know if it was just because she associated it with Percy, and around Percy, she felt safe, or because there was something so... clean about it. Like it cleared your mind of all your problems._

_Percy babbled on endlessly about Tyson, and then Paul. Annabeth was glad he had found the step-dad he had always wanted. Someone to act like his Dad whilst his wasn't around. And she was glad for Sally. Going by what Percy had told her, she had had a tough time. If anyone deserved happiness, it was Sally._

_Percy looked at her. His arms were a little red from the sun._

"_It make you think, doesn't it?" He said. "I mean, how much it helps having someone around you. Having someone who can make things seem a little better. Someone you love."_

_Annabeth nodded absent-mindedly, not really understanding what Percy was getting at._

"_Yeah." She said, closing her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun._

_Percy sighed, and threw a pebble into the water. He looked at Annabeth again._

"_For a Wise Girl, you're not very intelligent, are you?" He mumbled, jokingly._

_She opened her eyes and glared at him, wondering what in Zeus's name he was going on about._

"_What are you talking about?" She asked._

_He rolled his eyes, and looked straight out to the ocean._

"_I'm in love with you." He said, scared to look at her expression._

_Annabeth grinned, and kissed his cheek. She had to admit, she had a little lump in her throat. She didn't know Percy could be so sentimental._

"_I love you too." She whispered._

_Percy smiled at her, raising an eyebrow._

"_Really?"_

_Annabeth laughed._

"_Of course, Seaweed Brain." She said, pecking his cheek again._

Percy's face lit up into a huge grin. He almost laughed.

"What did you just call me?" He asked, still smiling.

Annabeth blushed a little.

"Seaweed Brain." She said, nodding towards him.

Percy did laugh then, before sighing. Probably thinking about more memories.

"I'll get you back for that, Wise Girl." He said, looking out of the window, watching the world go by.

Annabeth's lips twisted into a tiny smile, and Percy turned back to face her. He took a sip from his coffee, both hand wrapped around his mug.

"So, chapter two in the woeful tales of Annabeth Chase." he said.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"There isn't anything to tell." She said.

"Tell me about this knob of a boyfriend then."

Annabeth almost laughed.

"Which one? Him or you?" She joked.

Percy blushed a deep shade of red.

"I was joking, Seaweed Brain. I don't blame you." She said, before sighing. "He was called Rob. Met him at the park when I bumped into him, and he spilled his coffee. I offered to by him a new one, but he refused. We got talking. He just seemed so... so lovely. So innocent. I instantly like him. We went on a couple of dates. That's it."

"What was he like?" Percy asked, curious.

Annabeth blushed a little.

"At first, he reminded me of you. He made those stupid little sarcastic remarks like you do. Told stupid jokes. A bit of a goof really."

Percy smiled. That made him feel good. Annabeth chose this guy because he reminded her of him, but then he shook his head a little. This guy _Cheated _on her. She didn't deserve that. He smiled again.

"Are you calling me a goof?" he joked.

Annabeth laughed.

"Maybe a little." She said, with a small smile. "Anyway, after about... I don't know.. a year? Maybe a little longer. My friends told me he slept with other women. I didn't believe them. I don't know whether it was because I didn't _want _to believe them, or whether it was because I genuinely didn't think he would. They stopped talking to me. A month after that, I caught him with another woman. I don't know how many different ones there were, but I figured it was probably a few. I lost everything because of that guy, Percy."

Percy sighed. He couldn't help but think that she had actually lost everything because of _him_.

"Not everything." He said. "You gained something. You've got a baby to look forward to."

Annabeth put her head in her hands.

"I just... every time I look at him..."

"Or her." Percy interrupted.

"Or her. I'm scared I'll see him, and what he did to me."

Percy sighed, and shook his head.

"This baby is _not_ going to be like him, though, is he? This Rob bloke isn't going to be the guy raising him. You are. I reckon he's going to be like his mother."

Annabeth smiled a little.

"Thank you." She muttered.

"What for?" Percy asked.

"I don't know. Listening to me babble on about all the rubbish in my life. What about you?"

Percy laughed, and shrugged.

"Nothing happened." He said. "Honestly. It was boring. The monsters were a pain in the arse, but that's as exciting and my life got."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

"I find that hard to believe." She said.

"So do I." Percy said. "But it's true."

"Alright." Annabeth said. "Whatever you say."

Percy laughed a little.

"Are you free on Thursday?" He asked.

Annabeth rooted in her bag for her diary. She found it, and flicked through the pages.

"You have a diary." Percy said, with a smirk.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, not even looking up.

"I might have only one friend, but I'm a busy woman." She said, with a smile.

"You have at least two." Percy said. "Me and Thaila."

Annabeth smiled.

"Okay, whatever." She said. "As for Thursday..." She raised her eyebrows. "Hospital appointment, Forgot about that. I'm free after two." She said.

Percy snickered.

"I'm glad you can count." He said.

Annabeth paused for a minute, frowning, before rolling her eyes.

"That was awful, Perseus."

Percy groaned.

"Please don't call me that." He said. "And on Thursday, you are coming round to my apartment for dinner, okay? Okay. Four o'clock."

He took a napkin, and scrawled down his address. Annabeth smiled.

"You live close to me." She said. "Really close, actually."

Percy smiled.

"Good. Convenient for my new job. And seeing you."

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Okay."

Percy nodded.

"Better than okay."


	4. Chapter 4

Percy cleaned up as best as he could. Even after just a week, it was an absolute tip. He was a messy person. He had no one to tidy after him, so it wasn't really a big surprise.

What surprised him most, was that he was a pretty decent cook. He could easily whip up pretty much anything if you gave him the ingredients and the time. It was probably from watching his mother when he was younger.

The doorbell rang, and Percy smiled. It had only been a few days, but he missed Annabeth. He opened the door, and she stood there, hands in her pockets, rain dripping off her raincoat.

"I owe you a coffee." She said, grinning.

Percy raised his eyebrows, shutting the door behind Annabeth.

"Girl?" He asked, with a smile.

"Girl." Annabeth said, nodding.

Percy laughed.

"I knew it." He said. "Good gods. She's going to have me wrapped around my little finger."

Annabeth chuckled.

"No kidding." She said, still smiling.

Percy took her coat off her, and left it on the radiator to dry, before collapsing onto the couch. Annabeth sat beside him smiling to herself. It was so Percy. Paper shoved under the couch, which was probably at least ten years old. The pictures on the wall, leaning to one side. The rug all creased and lumpy. It reminded her of their old place. It wasn't perfect, but it felt like home.

"How bad is it outside?" Percy asked, breaking the silence.

Annabeth shivered just thinking about it.

"Horrible. The -" Thunder rumbled outside, and Annabeth laughed. "Well, you can guess."

Percy chuckled, and walked over to the window.

"It's really coming down." He said. "Did you walk?"

Annabeth nodded.

"I'll give you a lift back." He said, with a smile.

Annabeth sighed with relief. It was bad enough walking over. She dreaded to think what it'd be like walking through rain like that in the dark.

She opened her mouth to say something, and the power cut off. Percy laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Typical." He said.

Annabeth laughed too.

"Have you got candles?" She asked. "It's bloody dark in here."

Percy pointed to a desk.

"Top drawer on the right." He said. "Matches should be there too. I'll light the fire. It'll be freezing in here."

Annabeth nodded, and Percy grabbed some newspaper and shoved it in the fire, along with some wood. It was an open fireplace, and he really loved it. There was something so cosy about sitting inside when it was raining in front of a roaring fire. He had only lived there for a week, and he had already had to do that a surprising amount of times.

The fire roared into life, and he sat cross-legged in front of it, enjoying the warmth. Annabeth crept over, and at beside him.

"Hows the job?" She asked.

Percy looked at her.

"What do you think?" He said. "It's no fun. But I need it for the money."

She smiled at him sympathetically, and sighed.

"That sucks."

Percy shrugged.

"It's not so bad." He said. "I don't have to do it for very long. I've got my job looking after Annabeth Junior."

Annabeth laughed, and bumped his shoulder.

"You've still got four months, Seaweed Brain."

Percy raised his eyebrows.

"I honestly thought it would be longer than that."

Annabeth twiddled her hair.

"So did I." She said, with a nervous smile.

Percy looked at her, and gave her a little smile. He had never really seen Annabeth look so nervous about anything, and he really didn't know what to do. He knew what he _wanted_ to do. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her everything he was going to be okay. But he couldn't do that, because they weren't together, and he didn't want to ruin this friendship they had got back. So he settled with the latter.

"You'll be fine Annabeth." He said. "You're going to be awesome."

Annabeth gave him a grateful smile.

"I hope so. I just don't want to let her down."

She looked down at her bump, and gave a worried sigh.

"And you won't." Percy said. "I promise. Trust me on this one."

Annabeth smiled at him. She really wanted to just kiss him, and for everything to be how it was before he left. But she couldn't do that, because she was scared that he didn't feel the same way. Instead, she just sighed.

"I missed you." She said, eventually.

Percy smiled.

"I missed you too."

They locked eyes for a moment. Percy started to lean in, Annabeth too, until a boom of thunder made them both jump. He cleared his throat, and turned away, blushing slightly.

"How does spaghetti sound?" He asked.

"We've got no power, Perseus."

Percy laughed, shaking his head. He had given up on the Perseus thing now. He figured she wasn't going to stop.

"Oh, yeah." He said. "Sorry, I forgot. Pizza?"

Annabeth smiled, her stomach rumbling.

"Pizza sounds good to me."

Percy laughed at the rumbling.

"I figured."

Annabeth sighed, looking out of the window, listening to the rain patter on the windows, watching the lightning flash through the sky. Her stomach rumbled more, remembering Percy's cooking.

"_You." Annabeth said, holding back a laugh. "Cooking."_

_Percy nodded, his face the picture of seriousness._

"_I know it sounds weird, but I'm actually pretty good."_

"_-At giving people food poisoning?" She supplied._

_Percy shook his head, but laughed._

"_Trust me." He said, "I will not give you food poisoning."_

_Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him, realising he was being absolutely serious. However, if Percy described his cooking as 'pretty good', it didn't really say much. That boy would eat anything. She decided that she would go and sample it to see for herself._

"_Okay." She said. "Fine. I'll be round at half seven."_

_Percy smiled._

"_I won't poison you, I promise."_

_Annabeth smiled, but rolled her eyes._

"_I'll hold you to that, Seaweed Brain."_

"_I know you will, Wise Girl. I'll see you later."_

_He slashed his hand through the iris message, and went into the kitchen to raid the cupboards._

_Annabeth knocked on the door, at exactly half seven. Percy opened the door, tea towel casually hanging over his shoulder, his hair mussed up in that perfect way it always was. She could smell food before she even walked in, and it smelled... good._

_She pecked his lips,before darting straight to the kitchen, checking for any packets or evidence that he hadn't cooked it himself. She checked everywhere, but couldn't find anything. _

_She turned around, and there he stood, leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, smirking._

"_You actually cooked, didn't you?"_

_Percy nodded._

"_Of course." He said. "It'll be done in a minute. Any more questions?"_

_Annabeth shook her head, and sat at the table, watching Percy's every move, before he put a plate on the table in front of her, and sat down._

_Starving, but reluctant, Annabeth twisted the spaghetti around her fork, and put it into her mouth. She looked at Percy in disbelief._

"_Oh my gods, Percy." she said. "You can cook."_

_Percy smiled._

"_Told you." He said._

"_I know but... why didn't you tell me sooner? I mean... How did you... Oh my gods. This is really good."_

_Percy nodded._

"_You should believe me once in a while."_

"_Percy, I swear, if I could have food like this everyday, I'd move in with you."_

_Percy stopped, and stared at her, a smile gradually creeping over his face. He put his fork down, and brushed his hands together._

"_Why don't you?" He asked. _

_Annabeth stopped too, realising what she had just said. She looked at him._

"_I'd like that." He said. "Move in with me."_

_Annabeth smiled._

"_Did you just ask me to move in with you, Perseus?" She asked._

_He nodded._

"_I guess I did." He said._

_Annabeth grinned._

"_Okay." She said. "I'd love to move in with you, Seaweed Brain."_

After a while, Percy just sat there, and slapped himself. Annabeth laughed, and looked at him quizzically.

"Can't use the phone." He said, with a sigh. "No power."

Annabeth sighed.

"Typical us." She said.

Percy smiled.

"Typical us." He agreed. "What now? I'm starving."

Annabeth stood up, and Percy looked at her.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"To raid your kitchen, Seaweed Brain." She said, and walked away.

Percy followed her, and she was already in the freezer by the time he walked in. She turned and smiled at him, holding a tub.

"Ice-cream?" She asked, a mischievous smile on her face.

Percy laughed.

"Bring on the spoons." He said, grinning, and rustled through one of his drawers, handing some spoons to Annabeth. He opened a cupboard, and opened a biscuit tin, full of brownies. Annabeth saw them, and laughed.

"Made them yesterday." He said, and Annabeth followed him back into the living room.

They in front of the fire, facing each other, eating straight from the tub. They talked and laughed, and it felt like old times. When they were together. Annabeth picked a brownie and took a bite closing her eyes, smiling a little.

"Oh my gods." She said. "I forgot how good your cooking actually was."

Percy smiled.

"What are you doing at Christmas?" He asked, out of the blue.

Annabeth shrugged.

"I don't know. Nothing, probably. It just depends if Thalia is allowed to come over. Why? What are you doing?"

Percy sighed.

"Nothing. Mom and Paul are going to Montauk for a 'romantic weekend'" He said, grimacing. "And there isn't enough room for me to go. So I was wondering, well, if you wanted to come over here? Christmas on your own sucks."

Annabeth nodded.

"It sure does." She said. "Yeah, okay. That'd be good. You're cooking."

Percy grinned, and looked at the clock. His eyes widened.

"It's half-eleven." He said, almost laughing. "Come on. I'd better be getting you back."

Annabeth yawned and nodded.

"I have no idea how that happened." She said.

"I know." Percy said, throwing her her coat, and putting his on. "I have no idea where the time goes."

Annabeth nodded in agreement, before smiling.

"Time flies when you're having fun."

Percy rolled his eyes, and shepherded her out of the door.


	5. Chapter 5

"Annabeth." Annabeth jumped, and turned around, before sighing with relief.

An image of Percy floated in the air before her, and she frowned at him, before smiling. She couldn't be angry at him for very long.

"I could have been at work, Perseus." She said, half jokingly, half serious.

Percy laughed, and Annabeth went weak at the knees.

"It's Saturday. I happen to know you don't work weekends."

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Okay!" She said. "What do you want?" She snapped.

Percy raised his eyebrows.

"Hormonal much?"

Annabeth glared at him, before her face flashed with realisation, and then she blushed and gave him an embarrassed smile.

"Yeah." She said, running a hand through her hair. "Sorry. I swear I don't even know where it comes from. I was literally crying at a dog's trust advert the other day."

Percy laughed for a while.

"You busy?"

Annabeth shook her head.

"Nope." She said. "How about that coffee I owe you?"

Percy smiled.

"Sounds good." He said. "I'll come and get you. Bloody rain."

Annabeth laughed.

"Thanks." She said. "See you in five?"

"I actually think it'll be more like seven." Percy said.

Annabeth rolled her eyes, and slashed through the iris message.

She looked at herself in the mirror, and all she saw was this huge, fat lump. She though back to Thursday night. Did they nearly kiss? If that thunder hadn't interrupted them, would they? What would have happened after that? She shook her head. It was too confusing to think about. What would Percy see in her?

She ran a brush through her hair, and threw it into a bun, before quickly throwing on some different jeans and a jumper. She looked at herself again. As good as it was going to get.

The doorbell rang, Percy stood outside, his coat dripping wet, grinning.

"I guess I'll need my coat." Annabeth said, with a little laugh.

Percy nodded, shaking rainwater everywhere. Annabeth rolled her eyes, and put her coat on, grabbing her big umbrella from by the door, handing it to Percy. He smiled gratefully as he took it.

They ran to the car, and laughed as they closed the doors.

"Hey." Percy said.

Annabeth smiled.

"Hey." She said. "All this for a coffee."

Percy laughed.

"What else were you going to do?" He asked.

"Sleep?" Annabeth said.

Percy rolled his eyes.

"You always have an answer to everything."

"I am a daughter of Athena."

"There you go again." He said.

Annabeth laughed.

"I'm sorry for being so intelligent." She joked.

Percy nodded.

"You should be."

He pulled his hood down, and put the keys in the ignition. It was only a two minute drive, but neither of them fancied a ten minute walk in the pouring rain.

They both ran into the coffee shop, laughing and still out of breath.

Annabeth smiled at Percy and took her purse from under her coat. Percy shook his head, and reached for his back pocket.

"We made a deal, Perseus."

He sighed, rolling his eyes, and putting his wallet back. Annabeth opened her purse to pay, and Percy tilted his head to look at the photos, before grinning. Annabeth's eyes drifted to where he was looking, and she smiled, rooting deeper into her purse and picking out more scan photos.

Percy smiled as he took them, and went to sit down. A couple of minutes later, Annabeth joined him, with two hot chocolates piled with cream and marshmallows.

Percy looked at her quizzically, and Annabeth shrugged.

"Really fancied some." She said, with a grin, taking a sip.

Percy laughed at her cream moustache.

"You can read my mind, Chase." he said. "But I know for a fact hot chocolate costs more than coffee, which was not part of our deal, so I'm going to have to pay you."

he reached for his wallet again, pulling out some money, and slid it towards Annabeth. Annabeth rolled her eyes, and slid it back. This went on for almost five minutes. Percy rolled his eyes.

"Alright." he said, giving in. "You win. But I will pay you back somehow."

Annabeth laughed.

"Not if I can help it."

Percy rolled his eyes again.

"It's been exactly a week since I found you again." He said, smiling a little.

Annabeth smiled too.

"I know." She said. "I can't imagine it being any different. I mean, I have no idea what I used to do with my spare time."

Percy nodded in agreement.

"Neither do I."

Annabeth smiled. If only everyone was so easy to talk to. She looked out of the window, watching people run through the streets, covering their heads with their coats and briefcases. It made her think of a time she was supposed to go for coffee with Percy when they were younger.

_Annabeth tapped her mug. Her hair was dripping from the sudden shower that she wasn't prepared for. She looked out the window, which steamed up with every breath she took. The rain kept falling outside, and she couldn't help but feel glad she wasn't one of the commuters running around out there._

_She wasn't glad, however, that Percy was late._

_He was always late, but naturally, Annabeth would worry. That boy was always getting himself into trouble, and when he did, it was usually bad news. And she wasn't good at taking bad news._

_She sighed, and checked her watch, tapping her foot on the floor nervously._

_She took another sip from her mug, but found that there was noting left. Percy's coffee was cold. She sighed, and continued to look out the window. It was amazing how quickly the weather could turn._

_The wind whistled through the gaps in the cold, rickety windows, and Annabeth found her eyes drifting to the TV in the corner of the room._

"_sudden hurricane. Scientists are struggling to find the cause, but it isn't showing any chance of stopping any time soon. Experts suggest that people should stay in their homes, and not panic."_

_Annabeth eyes widened. The scientists were struggling to find the cause, but she wasn't._

_a) Poseidon was angry._

_b) Percy was in trouble._

_Annabeth ran outside, braving the weather, and dashed towards her apartment. She desperately mad a rainbow, and tossed in a drachma, asking for Percy._

_She sighed with relief as his image formed in front of her, but it was short lived._

_Annabeth couldn't tell how bad it was, but he was covered in blood. He was in his apartment, thank the gods, but he didn't look too good._

"_Percy?" Annabeth mumbled gently._

_He opened his eyes, and smiled a little, though his face was a little scrunched together with pain._

"_Hi." He said, as if nothing had happened. "Sorry I'm late."_

_Annabeth looked at him worriedly._

"_Are you in your apartment?" She asked, grabbing her coat._

_Percy gave a slight nod._

"_Don't worry. It's not as bad as it looks. I could use a little help, though."_

_Annabeth forced a smile._

"_Okay." She said, with a sigh. "I'll be as quick as I can."_

_She arrived at Percy's apartment a few minutes later, and opened the door. He lay on the sofa, and his eyes opened when he heard her. He gave a small, sheepish smile._

"_Sorry." He said._

_Annabeth rolled her eyes, and went into the kitchen, grabbing some supplies, and coming back in, kneeling beside him. She kissed his forehead._

"_What happened, Percy?" She asked, passing him a square of ambrosia, and gently taking off his blood soaked shirt._

"_I was coming to see you, and you know that alleyway?" Annabeth nodded, although her breath hitched when she saw his wounds. Percy lifted a hand and ran it through her wet hair. "It's not too bad." He said. "I'm okay. Anyway. Alleyway. Came across some bad cyclopses. I killed them all, but... " He gestured to his wounds. "Yeah. I was closer to -Ow!"_

"_Sorry." Annabeth mumbled. Pouring nectar on the wounds. "But I've got to do this."_

_Percy nodded, and carried on, his face distorted with pain._

"_I was closer to here, so I came back, and fell on the sofa. And then you called me."_

_Annabeth sighed, and pecked his cheek._

"_Done." She said. "You should be more careful, Seaweed Brain."_

_Percy laughed._

"_I know." He said, slowly sitting up. "Good thing I've got my Wise Girl, though. How did you know?"_

_Annabeth rolled her eyes._

"_Hurricane. Was that you, or...?"_

_Percy shook his head._

"_No. I can't make one that big. Must be Dad. I guess he's pretty angry." He said, with a little shrug. "I mean,cyclopses are his sons and stuff, so..."_

"_And they attacked his favourite son." Annabeth supplied, with a grin._

"_Yeah. Maybe." Percy said. "It might not be that though."_

_Annabeth sighed, and kissed him._

"_I love you." She said._

_Percy grinned._

"_I love you too." He said. "How about you stay here for coffee?"_

Annabeth shook her head, bringing herself back to the real world. Percy was sat, staring at the baby pictures. He smiled when he saw Annabeth looking.

"What are you calling her?" He asked.

Annabeth smiled, and thought for a moment.

"I don't know." She said after a while. "I wanted to call her Silena, but I wanted her to be _her, _if you get what I mean."

Percy nodded.

"I get what you mean. Anything else?"

Annabeth thought again.

"I like Poppy. Or Robyn. Or Olivia. Or Ellie. I really don't know. Any suggestions, Seaweed Brain?"

Percy smiled.

"I like Poppy. But I don't really have a right to name your baby, do I?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, before sighing.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked, after a while.

Percy nodded, and smiled nervously.

"Ask away."

"I know We've only been talking again for a week, but... I'd like you to be her Godfather. Would you...?"

Percy laughed, and grinned.

"I'd like that very much, Annabeth."

Annabeth's face lit up into a smile.

"Thank you." She said.


	6. Chapter 6

"Merry Christmas!" Percy said, with a grin, as he opened the door to Annabeth.

Annabeth stood at the front door, small bag of presents in one hand, an overnight bag in the other. She smiled, and went to walk in, until Percy took the bags from her. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"I could have carried these in." He said, with a stern smile.

Annabeth rolled her eyes again, taking her coat off.

"I'm pregnant, not ill." Annabeth said, laughing a little.

It had been two months since they had bumped into each other at that coffee shop, and they had seen each other at least three times a week since. They had been closer than ever, and got closer with each time they saw each other.

Percy put the bags down by the Christmas tree, and engulfed her into a hug. He squeezed too tight, like he always used to, making Annabeth laugh. Annabeth smiled to herself. He smelled of the sea, and pine needles.

"Merry Christmas, Seaweed Brain."

Percy smiled, and sat by the tree, delving into the small mass of presents. Annabeth sat beside him, laughing at Percy. He was like a little kid when it came to Christmas.

"_Annabeth, wake up!" Percy said, excitedly. Annabeth groaned. "Wake up, Wise Girl!"_

_Annabeth opened an eye, and there was Percy, stood over the bed, hands either side of her. He was grinning like an idiot,and his hair was flat on one side. He still had sleep in his eyes. Annabeth wondered how a guy who hated mornings this much could get up at this ungodly hour in the morning._

"_What time is it?" she croaked._

"_Half-six." Percy said, and pecked her lips. "Merry Christmas, Wise Girl."_

_Annabeth groaned again._

"_Merry Christmas, Percy." She mumbled. "Can I go back to sleep now?"_

_Percy's jaw dropped, and he snorted._

"_Of course not!" He said, clearly appalled. "It's Christmas! We've got presents to open, I've got to make dinner, you've got to eat chocolate. There is no time for sleep, Annabeth Chase."_

_She raised her eyebrows._

"_An hour." She begged. "Please."_

_Percy thought for a moment, and then shook his head._

"_No." He said. "I'll give you a deal. I'll make you breakfast-in-bed, and you'll get up after that. Deal?"_

_Annabeth smiled a little, rolling her eyes._

"_Deal." She said._

_Percy pecked her cheek, and headed downstairs._

_Annabeth sighed, and stretched. This was hers and Percy's first Christmas together, just as a couple. She didn't know it would be their last._

_She loved Percy. More than anyone else in the world. She didn't even mind him waking her up and half-six on Christmas morning. She didn't like to admitted, but she actually _liked_ that. She liked that he was still a little kid. And she liked how he was so selfless, and loyal. She liked that she could see the good in everything. She liked how he could crack jokes, even if things aren't great. She loved everything about that boy._

_She smiled to herself, and huddled deeper into the duvet, closing her eyes, totally content with her life._

_Percy crept into the room, saw Annabeth, and smiled. He was totally in love with her. Everything shed did, everything she said. He liked listening to her babble on about architecture. She liked how her grey eyes shone when she was happy. He loved her laugh – the way her face scrunched up, and how she would snort, and then she'd laugh even harder. He liked watching her work. The way she tucked her curls behind her ear. He loved everything about that girl._

_He sat on the edge of the bed, stroking the hair out of her face. She smiled, eyes till closed, and grabbed the front of his t-shirt. Percy yelped in surprise, and Annabeth pulled his closer towards her, kissing him gently._

"_You better have made me breakfast, Perseus." She whispered, grinning._

_Percy laughed, and Annabeth sat up. Percy placed the tray on her lap, and he clambered into bed beside her._

_Later that day, Annabeth sat on the kitchen counter, whilst Percy stood, peeling vegetables. She looked out the window._

"_Hey." She said, softly. "It's snowing again." _

_It had been snowing pretty much none stop for the past three days, and it was getting pretty deep. Percy looked out the window and smiled, watching the snowflakes drifting to the ground_

"_I've got an idea." He said, beaming uncontrollably._

_He took his coat off the peg, and tossed Annabeth hers. He put on some gloves, and shoved on some wellies. Annabeth stared at him._

"_I am _not_ going out there." She said, crossing her arms._

_Percy smiled prettily at her._

"_Come on." He whined. "It'll be fun. Don't make me have to drag you."_

_A ghost of a smile played at Annabeth's lips. She rolled her eyes._

"_Alright." She said. "But if I get a cold, I'm expecting top quality care."_

_Percy laughed._

"_Deal."_

_He ran outside, and Annabeth followed. He pummelled her with snowballs, they built a snowman, made snow angels._

_Percy thought Annabeth looked at beautiful as ever in the snow. Her nose and cheeks flushed red, her eyes had this special glint to them, which Percy absolutely adored. Her lips were chapped, and her hair was damp, hanging down the sides of her face. A snowflake landed on her nose, and Percy laughed, kissing it away._

_Annabeth smiled._

"_Your nose is red." She said._

"_So is yours."_

_She crossed her arms, trying to get herself warm._

"_I'm pretty cold." She said, teeth chattering._

_Percy laughed, and pulled her into a hug._

"_Me too." he said. "I vote go inside for some hot chocolate."_

_Annabeth nodded in agreement. Percy smiled, and took her hand, a lead her back indoors._

_Percy took off his coat and wellies, and took off his gloves._

"_Percy?" Annabeth said, her voice small._

"_Yeah?"_

"_I can't undo my coat." She said, almost laughing. "My hands are too cold."_

_Percy smiled, and took her freezing hand in his warm ones, and kissed her knuckles, before unzipping her coat, and hanging it up. He took her hands again, and led her to the living room, where the fire was still flickering in the hearth. Annabeth sat down in front of it._

_A few minutes later, Percy came in, two mugs of hot chocolate in his hands, and gave one to Annabeth, before sitting beside her._

"_Merry Christmas, Wise Girl."_

_Merry Christmas, Seaweed Brain."_

"Remember our first Christmas?" Percy said, chopping vegetables like he was all those years ago, and Annabeth sat on the counter like she was back then, too.

Annabeth smiled and nodded.

"I was just thinking about that." She said.

"Me too." Percy said, turning to face her. He sighed. "So much has changed." He muttered.

Annabeth sighed too, looking down at her bump, and resting a hand on it fondly.

"No kidding." She said, with a little smile. "But I've got my best friend back."

Percy smiled at her. He couldn't help but think that they were a little more than 'best friends', and he wanted that back, too. He sighed deeply, and put his knife down, brushing his hands off.

"I spend every single day of my life wishing I hadn't left."

Annabeth got down off the counter, and engulfed him in a hug.

"It wasn't your fault, Percy." She said, pulling away, her hands still on his shoulders. "We fought all the time. I don't blame you for leaving. I think I would've done if you hadn't."

Percy nodded.

"I know but... but maybe we could have sorted things out."

Annabeth thought about this for a moment. She couldn't pretend that she didn't want him back, because she did. Of course she still loved him.

Annabeth shook her head.

"I don't think we could have, Percy. Not then. We could hardly even speak anymore. We needed a break."

Percy sighed, and looked down at the floor. His heart sank, and he turned around, going back to his vegetables. Annabeth gently took the knife from his hands, and turned him around to face him, a nervous smile on her face. She put the knife on the counter.

"But there's no reason why we can't sort things out now."


	7. Chapter 7

Annabeth was sound asleep, snoring softly. Percy sighed, propped up on one elbow, just watching her sleep. He had missed five years of her, and he wasn't going to waste any of the time he had brought back, not since she was finally his Wise Girl again. She turned, and sighed contentedly, still asleep. Percy smiled. She looked so carefree when she was asleep. Like she didn't have any worries. But Percy knew, better than anyone, that she was far from carefree. And now that they were back together, he was determined to fix those worries.

Annabeth's eyes opened, and she saw Percy smiling down at her. A ghost of a smile played at her lips. Last night was real. They did get back together.

Percy's eyes shone with amusement.

"Good morning." He said.

Annabeth smiled.

"I need to pee." She said, and got out of bed.

Percy laughed.

"And they say romance is dead." He muttered.

"I heard that." Annabeth shouted, from the landing.

Percy chuckled to himself, and rubbed his eyes, lying on his back, looking up to the ceiling, just remembering yesterday was good enough to make him the happiest guy in the world.

"_But there's no reason why we can't sort things out now." Annabeth said, that nervous smile still playing on her lips._

_Percy looked at her, at a loss for words. And then he found himself smiling. Smiling wider than he had in a long, long time._

"_Are you suggesting...?" he asked, still a little dazed._

_Annabeth nodded._

"_There's no reason why we can't give it another shot." She said, smiling. "_I _ think we could, anyway. I still love you."_

_Percy took her hands in his._

"_I love you, too." He said._

_Annabeth grinned, and sat back on the counter, as if nothing had happened. Percy stared at her, before rubbing the back of his neck nervously._

"_Um... did we just have that conversation, or was that in my head?" He asked, confused._

_Annabeth rolled her eyes._

"_Of course we did, Seaweed Brain!" She said. "We need to work out what happened. Where we went wrong."_

_Percy looked at the floor._

"_I don't want to talk about it." He mumbled._

_Annabeth sighed, and crossed her arms._

"_Neither do I." She said. "But I want things to be how they were. Before the fighting. When it was just us. And the only way to do that is talk."_

_Percy nodded._

"_I know." He said. "I..uh... I don't know where to start. I made mistakes, and I know I did. Bad ones. And I can see that now, and I just couldn't see it then. I'm really sorry. It was just so... infuriating. I remember coming back from work really late. I knew I should have called you or something, but you were stood at the bottom of the stairs, and I knew we were going to argue. My shirt was all ripped and I was all bloody, because I had been attacked by some hellhounds. But all you cared about was where I had been. I remember that fight the best because... because you accused me of cheating. It really hurt me, and it bothered me for ages. It still bothers me now, actually. And I get why you were angry. It's just... the cheating part. I would never have done that to you, Annabeth. To anybody."_

_He looked down, not meeting her eyes. Annabeth sighed._

"_I know" She mumbled. "I'm sorry, Percy. I'm really sorry."_

_Percy smiled at her._

"_But," Annabeth said. "I was spending that whole time worrying about you. I kept on thinking something had happened to you. That you'd got yourself hurt, like you usually do. Or worse. You could've at least IM'ed me. And I knew that you wouldn't have cheated on me, but I was so angry, and relieved I just..." She threw her arms in the air with exasperation. "I don't know."_

_Percy chuckled, but was unsure of what to do. He smiled at her._

"_It's okay, Annabeth." he said. "I get it. I'm sorry."_

_Annabeth sighed, and much to her dismay, her eyes welled up with tears_

_Percy's eyes flashed with concern, and he brushed a hair from her face._

"_Hey." He said gently, with a small smile. "Don't cry. What's up?"_

_Annabeth wiped her eyes, and opened her arms out to him. Percy smiled, and stepped into them, wrapping his arms around her and stroking her hair. Annabeth sighed._

"_I don't know." She whispered, laughing into Percy's hair._

_Percy chuckled, and pulled away._

"_Hormones." he said, with a smirk._

_Annabeth glared at him, and Percy had the nerve to laugh. Annabeth found herself laughing along with him. _

"_Looks like we're back on then, Perseus." She said._

_Percy grinned, and threw his arms around her, squeezing her tight._

Annabeth walked back into the room, and for the first time ever, it dawned on Percy how huge she was. And then he wondered, now he and Annabeth were back together, who he will be in the baby's life? A family friend? An uncle? Her Father? He was already her godfather.

Annabeth crawled back into bed beside him, and Percy wrapped his arm around her shoulders, as if he had been doing this for the last ten years.

"Good morning." She said, eventually, after about a minute of shuffling, trying to get comfortable. "You need to clean your bathroom. It's filthy."

Percy laughed, and shook his head.

"It's eight in the morning, on boxing day. I'll do it tomorrow."

Annabeth raised her eyebrows.

"I'll have to do it then."

Percy shook his head again.

"I don't think so, Wise Girl." He said, eyeing her bump.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. She loved Percy, and she couldn't be more pleased that she had him back, but he was so overprotective.

"I'm not ill, you know." She said.

Percy laughed.

"I know. Firstly, you probably wouldn't be able to bend down to clean the tub. Secondly, I'm not having you cleaning my bathroom. It's not your problem. And lastly, you should be resting."

He kissed her nose.

Annabeth sighed, giving up, before looking down at her bump, rubbing it fondly. Percy smiled. He didn't like to admit it, but when he saw Annabeth like that, his heart melted.

"How far along are you?" Percy asked.

"Seven-and-a-half-months." She said.

Percy grinned and raised his eyebrows.

"That's more than I thought." He said, still smiling.

Annabeth sighed.

"I just want to see her now." She said. "I'm getting sick of this."

Percy smiled sympathetically. There was no way he could understand what it was like, but he could see how sick of it she was, just by looking at her. And he knew, if a situation was bad enough for Annabeth to complain, it was _really_ bad.

"I know." he said.

"How?" Annabeth asked.

He bumped her with his shoulder.

"Because I know you."

She smiled, and pecked his cheek.


	8. Chapter 8

Percy smiled as he walked through his apartment door, taking off his tie. It was his last day working for those pompous businessmen, and he couldn't be anymore pleased. Each day with that job, things just seemed to get worse and worse. Percy was a hard worker, and he never got the recognition for it. Not with that job.

But he knew, for sure, that he would enjoy his new job. Looking after his girlfriend's baby seemed like paradise in comparison.

At this point, Annabeth's due date had been and gone, but there was still no sign of his god-daughter.

Truthfully, he was excited. Even if she wasn't his, he knew he would love her, and care for her, and treat her like she was his own. And he hoped, more than anything, that she would see him as a father. Even if he wasn't. Not really.

In the last two months, Percy's and Annabeth's relationship had become even stronger. To Percy, he was pretty sure it was unbreakable. But he thought they were unbreakable before, and that didn't change anything.

But he knew he loved her more than anything. More than before. And he knew that that counted for something.

He got changed. He was going to see Annabeth again. He had been going to hers so often, it felt like he was living there. She had even given him a key. To Percy, it felt like home.

Walking towards her apartment, he smiled as he thought about something that happened when they were younger. They were about eighteen, and living at camp.

_Percy was practising his swordplay. He was already one of the best swordsmen Chiron had seen in a long, long time, but he still continued to push himself. He was determined to get better. Determined to keep going._

_Annabeth watched him. His forehead shone with sweat, but he kept going, slashing and slicing at the dummy relentlessly, until Annabeth blocked him with her knife. Something only a skilled knife-user could do. He smiled at her._

"_Cheeky." he said, with a smirk._

_Annabeth laughed, and lowered her dagger, motioning for Percy to carry on. She stood beside him, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously, watching him tear the dummy apart._

_She figured it probably wasn't the best time to tell him, whilst he had a sword in his hand, but it was now or never. It took all her courage to get this far._

"_I've been meaning to talk to you." She started. _

_Percy gave her a quick puzzled look._

"_Yeah?"_

_She looked down at her feet. Her trainers were caked with dirt._

"_You won't like it." She added._

_A small smirk graced Percy's lips._

"_Try me." he said._

"_I think I might be pregnant."_

_His smirk melted off his face. He lowered his sword, and Annabeth winced as it clattered to the ground. Percy stared at her, expressionless_

"_What?" He asked._

_Annabeth felt a tear drip down her cheek, and she looked away, over to the woods. She cursed herself for crying._

"_I'm sorry." She whispered._

_That's when Percy took her into his arms gently, embracing her, his chin rested on the top of her head. He stroked her hair, and let her tears seep into his shirt._

"_Please don't cry." He whispered, pulling away, and wiping the tears away with his thumb. "It'll be okay."_

_Somehow, he knew it would be. Percy was never one for making false promises._

_He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and steered her towards his cabin, closing the door softly behind him._

_He moved his clothes off the bed, and threw them across the floor, before sitting on the edge of his bunk._

_Annabeth looked at him, grateful that he reacted the way he did. She had stopped crying, but her eyes were sore and bloodshot, and she kept sniffing._

_Percy gave her a small smile, and patted the space beside him. She sat there, and Percy's arm snaked around her waist, pulling her close to him._

"_I'm sorry." He said. "Do you know for sure, or...?"  
_

_Annabeth shook her head._

"_I don't know, Percy." She said. "I just think... yeah."_

_Percy almost laughed. He had never heard Annabeth talk so unclearly._

"_So you don't know?" he asked._

"_I don't know." Annabeth agreed._

_Percy nodded, and kissed her cheek._

"_Well, I'm here for you, okay?" He said. "We need to know, though."_

_Annabeth rolled her eyes._

"_I know, Seaweed Brain."_

_Percy smiled._

"_Right then." He said. "We need to work out a way to do this without Chiron finding out. Unless... unless we do tell him."_

_Annabeth smiled. She loved Percy more than anything right then. 'We'. He wasn't planning on leaving her on her own._

"_We won't be able to get out of camp." Annabeth mumbled. "And Chiron's like a father to me. It'll be fine... right?"_

_Percy wasn't so convinced._

"_I hope so."_

_/_

"_What?" Chiron asked, raising his voice a little._

_Percy cringed. He knew this wouldn't go well. Annabeth looked away._

"_We're sorry." She muttered. "And we don't know. I might not be." She added, hoping to soften the blow._

"_But the fact that you were irresponsible enough to even see this as an option. Even if you aren't... I thought you were careful. Especially you, Annabeth. What would your Mother think?"_

_Percy cringed again. The thought of Athena knowing... he shivered._

"_We are most of the time!" Percy protested._

"_So why not all the time?"_

_Percy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. This was just as bad as having the 'talk' with his Step-father._

_Chiron's shoulders sagged, and he sighed._

"_Get yourselves to the infirmary. Come straight back here when you find out. No dilly-dallying. No lying. I can tell these things." he gestured for them to leave. "Go on. Good luck."_

_/_

_Annabeth left the room, totally relived. Percy stood up immediately, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. He didn't know what answer he wanted._

_Annabeth shook her head._

"_I'm not." She said._

_Percy sighed._

"_Thank gods." He mumbled._

Part of Percy wished that she had been. He wished that he could have a son or daughter to call his own.

He unlocked Annabeth's apartment door. He loved this place. Everything was so neat and tidy. It was so Annabeth. Bookshelves lined the walls, and there were a pile of architectural drawings on the table. He didn't look at them, though. Annabeth could get nasty if you touched her stuff.

"Annabeth!" Percy called.

No answer.

"Where are you, Wise Girl?"

The worry kicked in. He searched the apartment desperately. He told her he would be there at six. She was never late. It was ten past already.

And he couldn't iris message her. She could be out in public, and that wouldn't go down to well with mortals.

He scanned the table for a note, anything giving him a clue as to where she was. He scanned the surfaces, coffee tables, everything. He sighed with relief when he saw a note, obviously scrawled in a rush, because he had never seen Annabeth's writing so messy.

_Perseus,_

_Went to hospital. Babies have bad timing._

_I'll IM you later if I can._

Percy sighed. At least he knew she was safe. He also knew that she wouldn't have to IM him. He would already be there.

He looked for Annabeth's car keys. He figured she probably wouldn't have driven, she would have got a taxi or something, so he decided to go in her car.

It took ten minutes to get to hospital. To Percy, that was ten minutes too long. He didn't recall ever being so excited about anything.

He walked up to the reception desk. A grumpy-looking woman sat there, her glasses sliding down her nose, her face ruined by a permanent scowl.

"Excuse me." Percy said. "Could you tell me what room Annabeth Chase is in?"

She looked up at him.

"And you might be?"

"Her partner."

The woman rolled her eyes, and looked at the computer, scrolling down.

"Room three." She said, without even looking up.

"Okay, thanks." Percy said.

She didn't answer. Percy shook his head. He understood that her job must be boring, but some manners would've been nice.

He walked down the corridor, until he found room three. He knew Annabeth was in there. He could hear her crying, and it tore him to pieces. And suddenly it dawned on him that he was being selfish. Just because he wanted to be there with her didn't mean that she wanted him to be. He stood in front of the door, debating whether to go in or not. He decided against it, and sat on the chair opposite the door.

He didn't know how long he had been waiting for, but every second tore him to pieces. He could hear everything that was happening in there, and frankly, it didn't sound pretty.

Percy worked out it must've been 3 hours when the midwives and doctors file out of the room, smiling at each other and talking.

Percy stood up.

"Excuse me?" He said.

One of the midwives smiled at him and walked over.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"Um... yeah. My partner's in that room and..."

"Would that be Annabeth Chase?" She asked. Percy nodded. "You must be Percy. She was asking for you the whole time. Sorry... I didn't know you were here. Everything went fine."

Percy sighed with relief.

"Good." he said, with a little smile. "can I see her?"

She smiled.

"Sure. I'll just ask her. Hang on one sec." She poked her head around the door. "There's a young man here asking if he can see you."

"Percy?" He couldn't see Annabeth, but he involuntarily smiled at the sound of her voice.

"Hello." He said, hoping she would hear.

The midwife smiled, opening the door for him.

Percy walked in, thanking the midwife. She smiled and left the room

Annabeth was sat up in bed, looking tired, but beautiful. Her hair was pulled out of her face, and Percy instantly noticed the lack of bump, and the baby in her arms.

She smiled at him tiredly.

"Hi." She said, her voice a little croaky.

Percy stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. All he wanted to do was take Annabeth into his arms.

"Hi." He said, that stupid, involuntary grin coming back across his face.

Annabeth rolled her eyes and laughed,and Percy laughed too, before sitting on the chair in the corner of the room.

Annabeth raised her eyebrows at him.

"What are you doing over there?" She asked, shuffling over on the bed, and patting the space beside her.

Percy sat beside her, the grin still plastered onto his face. He kissed her cheek, and looked down at the baby. His grin faded into a small smile, and he was already wrapped around her little finger.

"She's beautiful, Annabeth." He whispered.

The baby opened her eyes, stormy grey like Annabeth's. She had Annabeth's curls, eyes, mouth. Percy didn't recognise her nose, or her auburn hair, but that didn't matter much to him. He saw the Annabeth in her, and he loved Annabeth more than anyone he had ever loved in the world.

He ran the back of his hand down the baby's cheek, so softly he was barely touching her.

"I know." She whispered, and closed her eyes for a second, resting her head on his shoulder. "Poppy Brooke Chase. Like it?"

Percy nodded.

"It's perfect." He looked at Annabeth, and realised how tired she really was. "Are you okay? It didn't sound like much fun."

Annabeth regarded him curiously.

"How long have you been here?" She asked. "And you could hear me from _outside_?"

Percy smiled.

"Just over three hours, and yes."

Annabeth gave an embarrassed smile.

"I get why you wouldn't have wanted to be here. It's okay." She said.

Percy scowled, and shook his head.

"I _wanted_ to." he said. "I didn't think you'd want me here."

"Of course I wanted you here Percy." She said. "Why wouldn't I?"

Percy shrugged.

"I don't know. I guess because she's not mine." He whispered. He wished, more than anything, that she was.

Annabeth sighed.

"Oh Percy." She whispered. "Of course she's yours. The fact that you're not her biological father doesn't change anything."

Percy looked at her, and grinned.

"Thank you." He said, the grin still there. "Thank you so much."

Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Here." She said, and gently placed the sleeping baby into his arms. A tear escaped from his eye. He may not be her real Father, but he felt like one, and that was all that mattered to him.

"Move in with me." He whispered, before he knew what he was saying.

Annabeth shook her head, and Percy's shoulders sagged. He sighed, and looked down at the baby in his arms, and wondered how he would cope not seeing her everyday.

"You move in with me." Annabeth said, and Percy's face lit up. "My place is bigger. Poppy's room is decorated. You should re-do your place and rent it out, and you can get money from doing that, and you'll be able to stay at home and look after Poppy."

Percy grinned.

"Sounds like a plan, Wise Girl."


	9. AN (UPDATE)

Just an A/N. You won't like it.

I'm going to finish the story here (please don't put me in the stocks and throw tomatoes at me). There **WILL**be a sequel at some point, probably when I get my summer holiday.

I've been working on lots of stories, which will go up soon.

Thank you for all your support, I really am so grateful.

-Em-

(12/06/13) GUYS THE SEQUEL IS UP. I WON'T BE UPDATING AS OFTEN AS I USED TO BECAUSE I HAVE SCHOOL STUFF TO DO.


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